Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Social Sciences and Humanities
Year: 2025
DOI:
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Mapping Fashion Designers: Personas, Career Stages, and Market Strategies
Ildikó Olah
ABSTRACT:
Fashion is a multifaceted field, just as fashion designers exhibit diverse professional identities. This research aims to investigate the multidimensional nature of fashion designer careers and, based on these findings, to develop a typological framework grounded in the so-called persona theory. This theory explores the various career trajectories and the corresponding strategic approaches designers adopt. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with a broad spectrum of fashion designers, including entrepreneurs, classical fashion designers, career changers, professionals functioning as educators or mentors, and hobbyists.By posing targeted questions, the study identified key dimensions—such as educational background, approaches to brand development, target audience delineation, and participation in fashion events—that enable a scientifically robust classification of designers. The results reveal the extent to which strategic decision-making in market segmentation, branding, and overall fashion industry practices is intertwined with both individual and professional identities. The practical implications of this research contribute to the organization of fashion events, the refinement of brand development strategies, and the promotion of sustainable market positioning.
keywords: Typology; Diversity; Segmentation; Sustainability; Branding